Vikings draft two defensive backs in sixth round

It took awhile for the Vikings to draft a defensive back. Then they took two.

With the No. 182 pick of the sixth round, the Vikings on Saturday selected safety Antone Exum of Virginia Tech. Two picks later, they took cornerback Kendall James of Maine.

Exum also can play cornerback. But he expects the Vikings mostly to use him as a safety.

"I'm excited. I'm ecstatic," Exum said about going to the Vikings. "I think they kind of see me as a hybrid-type. ... It's primarily going to be a safety, I believe. ... I feel comfortable at both (positions)."

Minnesota entered the draft with definite needs at defensive back but didn't address them in the first five rounds. But the Vikings made some trades to stockpile five picks in the last two rounds, and it looks as if one reason was to beef up the secondary.

The 6-foot-1, 220-pound Exum is regarded as having good size and speed. He said he is healthy now after being limited to just three games last season. He missed the start of the season due to a torn ACL suffered in an offseason pickup basketball game and later suffered a season-ending high-ankle sprain.

"I'm healthy now," Exum said. "I'm feeling great and I'm ready to get to work."

The 6-foot, 175-pound James is known for his speed and athleticism. He was a three-year starter with the Black Bears, earning second-team FCS All-American honors as a senior.

"I can bring that toughness to (Minnesota),'' James said. "I could help our special teams and I'm just an all-around great cover corner. So I think I can help this defense.''

James said he's "ready and excited'' to join the Vikings. They saw him at the combine in Indianapolis in February.

"I think I can play special teams right away for sure, '' James said. "And I think I can get on the field. I can play nickel and or I can even line up outside, but I know I can play.''

The Vikings closed the draft by taking three players in a six-pick span in the seventh round. At No. 220, they drafted Connecticut defensive tackle Shamar Stephen, at No. 223 Georgia Tech linebacker Brandon Watts and at No. 225 North Carolina cornerback Jabari Price.